Gifts
by Ehliena
Summary: Reylo. Rey is in labor. Ben has a few (read as a LOT) concerns.


The labor was terrible. Ben paced the hallway, more afraid than he had ever been in his life. His mother was in there with her, but there were some things that even mothers couldn't fix.

Ben knew that first babies were always the hardest, not just to raise, but also to bring into the world. Rey was strong, but childbirth was another challenge entirely.

His grandmother had died in childbirth.

When they first found out, they had been ecstatic. For Rey it was because she could finally have a family that she could call her own flesh and blood. For him, it had been because of how happy Rey was.

"I hope he turns out like you," Rey told him once.

"Me?" Ben scoffed. "I'm hardly the best role model for the child. Besides, she'll end up just like her mother. Beautiful and deadly."

"Now you're flattering me," Rey blushed, still not used to compliments. "I mean that I hope she'll be like you in that she'll know the Dark Side and have the strength to turn away from it."

Now it was his turn to blush. It wasn't often that they brought up that whole mess regarding his involvement with the First Order and the Knights of Ren, at least not when they were alone. They had had their conversations about all that had happened. They had reconciled what they could and they moved past all of that.

They were stronger together than they ever were apart. Their individual demons were dust compared to their combined wills. Not just with regards to the Force either. Their relationship, though it started out as opponents, was strong. Their affection for each other stronger.

A cry tore him from his thoughts, bringing him back to the present. He looked over to his uncle who was also startled.

"She'll be fine," Luke said, reassuring him. "She's been through worse."

She has. Ben knows that she has. Some of what she'd been through was his fault. He would have changed it if he could, but Rey always just laughed at him whenever he voiced out that sentiment. She wouldn't be who she was if those things never happened, she often reminded him.

"Grandmother-" Ben began, but Luke cut him off.

"Thought that your father was lost to her," Luke reminded him. "She thought that she had nothing else to live for. It was a different time, she was a different person. Rey will pull through. As will the twins. You have to remain strong for them too."

Ben nodded his head.

Twins. They knew even before the second check-up. Twins, but they didn't know the sex of either. It didn't really matter to them, as long as both were healthy.

"Can you imagine," Rey said as they prepared the babies' room. "This time next year we'll have two younglings to take care of."

"Don't call them younglings," Ben cringed, still not fully ready to be a father. "We're not even sure they're going to be force-sensitive. The chances of a child turning out to be force-sensitive are-"

"Oh please," Rey scoffed, setting up the mobile that Poe had given them, complete with miniature X-Wings and TIE fighters. "With both of us as parents the odds of them not being force-sensitive is the smaller value. What are you so afraid of?"

"I'm just not ready," He admitted softly. At Rey's concerned look he blushed and turned away. "Don't use that trick against me."

"Like I need a Jedi mind trick to know what's on _your_ mind," Rey chuckled. "It will be fine. We'll be fine."

She took his hand in one of hers and turned his face towards hers with the other. She slowly moved forward so that their foreheads were resting gently against each other. She could feel the scar she gave him with her hand and face.

"Hey," she said softly. "Look at me."

His eyes found hers and she saw the worry in them. She hoped that he could see the comfort she offered in hers.

"We proved that together we are unstoppable," she told him. "We brought down the First Order. We defeated Snoke. We saved the galaxy. We saved you. Together we can do anything, remember?"

Ben looked at his wife, really looked at her. She was stunning. He really couldn't understand what she saw in him.

"I'll try to keep it in mind," he promised.

No matter his promise then, he couldn't help but worry about her now. Her screams seemed to intensify, the silence between them happening shorter.

He would have tried to reach out to her with the Force, but both she and his Uncle had forbidden him to do so beforehand, stating that she needed to concentrate on giving birth and that he would just distract her if he did so. Still, he made sure that she would feel him at the back of her mind, just a little reminder that he was so close and that he would have shared in her pain if her could have.

Another yell from Rey came followed shortly by a loud cry. Poe and Finn perked up from where they were seated.

"That's one," Poe said, stating the obvious.

"Wonder if it's a girl or a boy," Finn speculated.

"Either way," Poe gave a nod to no one in particular. "That one was _your_ godchild."

Rey had decided on it before Ben could disapprove, not that he would. One child would have Finn as the godparent, the other would have Poe. If anything happened to any of them, there would always be one person left that Rey trusted to raise their children. In a way, Ben figured, the twins would still belong to all of them anyway, what with the trio being as close as they were.

It wasn't until another five minutes that they heard the second cry. Soon after Ben was allowed inside the room.

He was filled with trepidation. What if the babies hated him? What if he dropped them? What if they inherited his nose? Or worse, his ears?

His mother greeted him with a wide smile and one baby in her arms. Rey was on the bed with the second baby, sweaty and a bit pale, but Ben thought that she was never more beautiful than in that moment. He gave her a hesitant smile, which she returned with a small triumphant smile of her own.

His mother however, demanded his immediate attention. Rather, the baby in her arms did as she passed him the child and he hesitantly accepted the bundle.

"Congratulations son," she said, kissing his forehead. No matter how old her son got, or how many milestones he passed, in her heart he would always be her little boy. "You have a son."

"And a daughter," C3PO said from the corner. "Congratulations Master Ben. I must say, this is a wonderful moment indeed."

"Indeed," Leia agreed. "I think we should leave the little family alone to get acquainted, yes?"

She didn't wait for a reply, she just walked out of the room. C3PO and the midwife robot followed after her.

"Hey," Rey said as soon as they were alone. "Would you like to meet your daughter?"

"Daughter?" he asked, still not over the fact that he had a son. "We have a girl and a boy?"

"Yes," Rey smiled. "Come over here."

He walked slowly towards her. His posture was a bit stiff, afraid to drop or somehow damage the infant in his arms. Rey noticed this of course, and snickered at him.

"Don't be so nervous," she chided. "You're not going to hurt him."

"I might drop him if I move any faster."

Rey would have laughed out loud if she didn't know that he was seriously worried about that. She gave her husband a fond smile. He might have been close to being a Sith Lord, but he had that insecure side to him that just made her want to embrace him.

"Can you move her a bit?" he asked her when he was finally at her bedside. "I can't see her like this."

Rey chuckled, knowing that he wouldn't bend or shift because of the baby. To help, she held their daughter in one arm and reached out her other hand for their son.

"Give him here," she instructed.

"Are you sure?" he asked, obviously anxious that she would drop the babies or something if she held them both at the same time. "I think he's rather comfortable where he is right now."

"It's a miracle he's asleep when you're as stiff as a board," she noted. They had both been told that babies up to a certain age were comfortable if the adults holding them were comfortable. "Give him here, it'll be fine."

Ben passed their son to her with as much care as he could. He bent his knees just to become level with the bed instead of bending over, scared that if he did the child would roll out of his arms. Rey just waited patiently for her son to be in her arms once more.

With the boy transferred safely into Rey's hold, Ben took a step back and looked at his family. He had to revise his earlier opinion. _This_ is the moment where she was most beautiful, with both of their children in her arms.

"What's with that look?" she asked, seeing his face.

"Nothing," he replied. "Just happy, I guess."

"I am too," Rey admitted. "But you know what would make me even happier?"

He quirked an eyebrow to indicate that he was listening. He had heard that line a lot over the course of her pregnancy. They said that cravings would subside when the children would arrive, but Ben figured that there could still be some leftover cravings. He was fully prepared to go out and look for whatever weird combination that she wanted.

"Get in bed and sit behind me so you can hold us all?" Rey shyly asked.

Growing up as a scavenger on Jakku as she did, Rey was starved of physical affection. Even after she found her place in the Resistance, and the trio, she held herself aloof, giving hugs to only those she considered her closest friends. All through their relationship, Ben was the one who usually initiated physical contact. Rey only did so when she felt that her words wouldn't be enough.

So a request like that was something the he complied with as fast as he could.

He slid into bed behind her leaning against the wall. He held her with her back closely to his front and arms encircled hers and their children. Rey quickly found a comfortable position and they stayed like that in silence for a bit, basking in happiness.

"They're going to come in here soon, you know," he whispered, not quite ready to let their little moment go. "Mother would not be able to keep them out indefinitely."

"I know," Rey said with her eyes closed. "I just need a bit of a rest."

He felt her body relax against his, and he couldn't blame her for being exhausted. She did just give birth to twins after all. He looked over at their children, their two precious wonders, and saw a bright future for them both.

 _finis_

* * *

This is for oohspookyspooky over at Tumblr. I know your prompt asked for a baby and Kylo Ren being in awe as he held the kid, but I couldn't help but have him be all awkward and in fear instead. Oh and I guess twins bc they run in the family? ^.^

Anyway, comments are very much appreciated! Thanks for reading.


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